Recession Ups US Demand for Third World-Type Loans

?Sokoloff and Powell are among thousands of Americans using microcredit, a financing system originated in the Third World , to help open small businesses or get through rough spots. While the dollar amounts are much bigger in the U.S. than the tiny loans in developing countries ? some for less than $10 ? the principle is the same: a financial stake that lets people in need better their lives.?